


Tell me a secret

by Laramie



Series: Things you said [23]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Happy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-25
Updated: 2015-08-25
Packaged: 2018-04-17 02:15:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4648398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laramie/pseuds/Laramie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years after leaving Downton and setting up their own business, Thomas and Jimmy go for a Christmas walk.</p><p> </p><p>  <i>No matter how old he got, Jimmy still acted like a child at Christmastime.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Tell me a secret

**Author's Note:**

> Warning for talk of bodies being disgusting in the paragraph starting "Thomas sighed". Otherwise, you're in the clear.
> 
> Prompted by abbys-jam-juggler from a dialogue meme. Send me a number from here if you like: http://marshallismyname.tumblr.com/post/127415169803

**December 1967**

"Whhyyy?" Thomas groaned as Jimmy dragged him out of the front door for a post-Christmas-dinner walk.

"It's tradition!"

"It's only tradition because we say it is," Thomas pointed out, finally managing to get the end of his stick to the ground, to the relief of his knees. After years of standing as stiff as a board, they were rather tight and sometimes painful. "Can't we just say it isn't any more? I'm not getting any younger and nor, for that matter, are you." The slow tapping of Thomas's stick on the pavement echoed back from the tall buildings of the York street. The city seemed deserted, since most people were holed up indoors with their loved ones.

"Oh, don't be such a grump, old man," Jimmy told him, slipping his liver-spotted hand into Thomas's free one. "I know you love our traditions, and more importantly _I_ love our traditions, so shut up and suck it up."

"All right, toy boy," Thomas said grudgingly, unable to dispute his point. "Have you taken your medicine today?"

"Shut up! I don't want you thinking about my manky heart!"

Thomas sighed. "Darling, I've seen you vomit, I've cleaned up your shit when you had diarrhoea and looked after you when you had a fever and sweated right through the bedsheets. A bit of a manky heart is the least of your worries."

"Can't help being disgusting," Jimmy grumbled. He nudged his shoulder gently against Thomas's, careful not to knock either of them off-balance. "You still love me though."

"I do," Thomas agreed, turning to smile at him. Jimmy returned it, the laughter lines around his eyes deepening. Thomas loved those lines, just as he loved the wrinkles in Jimmy's forehead. The brightness of his hair had faded over the years, the luscious locks becoming thin and fragile. His skin, too, was more dull and pale than it had used to be, and sagged somewhat. Thomas thought he was beautiful.

"Tell me a secret," Jimmy requested genially, gently swinging their joined hands between them as they shuffled along. No matter how old he got, Jimmy still acted like a child at Christmastime.

"I don't have any secrets from you," Thomas replied. "You know that."

"I know," Jimmy said. "Think of something, though."

"Why?"

"It's like the old days," Jimmy said dreamily, rubbing his thumb over the wrinkled skin of Thomas's hand. "When we were young and still learning about each other. Anyway, I think there'll always be more to learn about you. So go on. Think of something."

Thomas pondered it for a little while, but his wavering memory could not recollect anything that Jimmy did not already know. They had shared their lives for the last 40-or-so years; there was nothing in Thomas's heart or soul that he had not already laid bare, and he knew it was the same for Jimmy. As they hobbled along, the chill bit at Thomas's nose and fingertips. The weak sun, hanging low in the sky, did little to mitigate the need to wear the thickest coats they owned. Eventually, Thomas offered as his matter-of-fact response: "I love you more every day."

At that, Jimmy stopped them and they turned to face each other. Jimmy's eyes were glimmering. "Truly? Still?"

"Yes. Every day when I wake up and you're lying next to me, snoring like a lion, I love you just a little bit more." For every accumulated day was another day of shared history, a history that Thomas cherished.

Running his fingers through Thomas's white hair, Jimmy kissed the bony part of his nose, his top lip catching on the bridge of his glasses. He put his arms around Thomas tightly and leaned into him.

As Jimmy put his weight on Thomas, there was a painful twinge in Thomas's knees, making him yelp: "Ow! Mind my knees!"

"Sorry," Jimmy said immediately, trying to stabilise him. "I forget you're nearly 80."

"I'm not nearly 80," Thomas said peevishly. "I'm 76; that officially makes me mid-70s."

Jimmy smiled softly at him. "Whatever you say, old man."

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently 'toy boy' didn't become a thing until 25 years later but shhh ;)


End file.
